Threats and intimidations against human rights defender and journalist Selvakumar Nilanthan

On 2 September 2022, human rights defender and journalist Selvakumar Nilanthan was ordered to report to the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) in Kirulapone, Colombo, on 14 September 2022 for questioning him about his alleged support for the former Tamil armed separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Selvakumar Nilanthan is a human rights defender and a freelance regional journalist based in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. He is the secretary of the Batti Press Club and was a member of the Batticaloa District Youth Club. He has been actively reporting on social, political and environmental injustices in the Eastern province. He has been advocating for human rights issues and has written several news articles for Tamil newspapers. Due to his legitimate human rights activism and journalism he has been targeted by the Batticaloa police, summoned for interrogation, and he has received several court orders restricting his right to protest.

In May 2022, Selvakumar Nilanthan was targeted online. Photos of his family members including his children were posted on Facebook aiming at tarnishing his image and credibility as a journalist. As a response, he wrote to the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Batticaloa requesting them to take adequate action against the online violence and attacks.

On 9 February 2022, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers questioned Selvakumar Nilanthan for two hours at a police station in Eravur, in the Batticaloa district. He was questioned about his personal and professional background, and his connection to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as well as diaspora news organizations. He was also interrogated about his work with the Batticaloa District Tamil Journalists Association. On 12 July 2021, Selvakumar Nilanthan was questioned on the same matters by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the Batticaloa police, who also demanded the login details of his Facebook, WhatsApp, email, and bank accounts.

In January 2020, leaflets with death threats to seven Tamil journalists in the Batticaloa district, including Selvakumar Nilanthan were placed at the office of the Batticaloa Press Club. The journalists suspect that these threatening leaflets have been put underneath the door. Translation of the text printed on the leaflets read as “Be aware! Be aware!! These are the Reporters who received money from the Tigers abroad and working against the government. Soon give them death sentence!”. The photo on the leaflets were from an event that journalists in Batticaloa organised on 9 January 2020 to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the killing of Colombo-based journalist and editor Lasantha Wickramathunga.

Sri Lanka has a history of targeting and attacks of peaceful human rights defenders and journalists for their human rights work and advocacy. Those working in war affected areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country and from religious and/or ethnic minorities are especially vulnerable to threats, intimidation and legal reprisals. Front Line Defenders has repeatedly called for an end to reprisals and for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists in Sri Lanka.